Garment-hanger.



No. 724,427. PATENTED APR. 7, 1903. s. W. BONSALL. GARMENT HANGER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1902.

j 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I0 MODEL.

wit mzo oi v 1 I m vendor afloz'nu I k0 monm.

PATENTEYD APR.7,1903. s. w. BONSALL.

GARMENT HANGER.

APPLICATION 11.21) APR. 8, 1902K I s sumssum 2.

cqvwewtoz ,No. 724,427. I PATENTED APR. 7, 1903.-

S. W. BONSALL.

GARMENT HANGER.

APPLICATION 31mm) APR. 8. 1902.

K0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET a o a 27.17: J 'lu 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SEYMOUR WV. BONSALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GARMENT-HANGER.

sPncIFI'cATIoN armin part or Letters Patent No. 724,427, dated April '7', 1903.

Application filed April 8, 1902. Serial No. 101,955. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SEYMOUR W. BONSALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have inextension of the principle of the hanger to provide an improved trousers-stretcher com bining all the advantages above named with the further function of stretching the trousers while on the hanger.

My invention is capable of embodiment in a great number of forms, and this capacity is exemplified by the illustration of a number of forms in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a perspective View of my preferred hanger as applied to the inside of a closet-door. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, showing the addition of the lower'securing devices whereby a stretching device is produced. Fig. 3 is a side View, on a large scale, of the securing device and slideway shown in Fig. 1, showing details. Fig. 4 is a top view thereof. Fig. 5 is a side view of a modified form of securing device. Fig. 6 is a rear view of another modified form of securing device and board. Fig. 7 is a sectional fragmentary view of the modification shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 shows the front of a board supporting proper securing devices in two different ways, and Fig. 9 is a side view of a part of a form of securing device intended for use with the board shown in Fig. 8.

It is to be understood that while I have named preferred materials and forms of parts in the. following description those named are not essential -,;t0 my invention in all cases.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are shown my preferred forms of hanger. In Fig. 1 the individual securing'means aresupported by a slideway secured directly to the inside of a closet-door.

Where room is 1imited,this will be found a very convenient arrangement; but my hangers, however modified in form, may be suspended in anylocality without departing from my invention.

In Fig. 1 the slideway or support is shown at l and is composed of a relatively thick wooden bar, such as ten-ply veneer, secured by screws 2 or equivalent devices to the door 3. In Figs. 1 and 2 this bar or slideway is constructed with a sloping top so arranged that the inner surface of the slideway against the door is narrower'than the opposite surface. This is one arrangement whereby a properly-shaped hook adapted to go over said top surface is enabled to support a securing device for the garments, resisting forward tilting in a manner hereinafter described.

The individual garment-securing devices are provided with brackets 4, so shaped as to fit the exposed surfaces of the bar 1, as shown.

They should fit snugly enough to prevent much play or rattling, but not so tightly as to interfere with easy sliding of the-brackets along the bar 1. The bracket should also have sufficient width in the preferred form shown to oppose any material tipping of the securing device when the same is swung close to the plane of the permanent support, as hereinafter described.

In front of each bracket 4 is hinged a strapiron connecting-piece 5, to the front portion of which are fastened the two sides of the garmentclips or pressing-boards, said sides being preferably made of suitably-shaped boards of thin wood or veneer. My invention covers any mode of'hinging these boards to the movable bracket.

The trousers 7 or other garments are sirna socket 9, adapted to fit over a button or head 10 on theother board 6 somewhat in the manner of a well-known glove-fastener.

The detailed construction shown in Figs. 3 and ,4 embodies certain improvements as over what is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Here the slideway l is cut away at 11 and 12 above and below, so as to accommodate the curved book 13 at the top and the spring 14 at the bottom. The individual brackets in this case are pref erably composed of a straight body 15, of veveer, to which the hook 13 is attached at the top and the spring at the bottom. In front of this body 15 the connecting-piece 5 is hinged, as shown.- By this arrangement the friction at top and bottom of the slide 1 is greatly lessened, since the hook 13 need only touch the top of the slideway at two points, and the spring 14 may be shaped, as shown, to also only touch at two points. At the same time the upper hook maintains the pressingboards 6 in a horizontal position with a certain amount of spring action which may be utilized in producing the stretching combination hereinafter described.

It is obvious that the production of suit ably-formed upper and lower edges for the reception of the upper and lower hooks or clips may be carried out in many ways and that the specific formation of slideway shown is not essential to bring it within the spirit of my present invention. I have found that the best results are attained by forming the top hook as shown, so that with the boards 6 swung in an oblique position one or the other corner of the extreme tip of said hook catches against the back of the portion of the slideway which said hook embraces, thereby opposing the tendency produced by the weight of the garment to depress the outer extremity of the boards 6.

' The brackets shown in all the figures so far described are adapted to be immediately removed or to be slid along the slideway or bar 1 at will. In placingsuchabracket as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the hook 13 is first put over the top of the slideway, and then the boards 6 are brought down to the horizontal position, whereby the spring 14 is pressed slightly downward, scraping over the bottom surface of the slideway until at last the inner tip of said springis brought into the position shown in Fig. 3, securing the bracket firmly in place by slightly entering the space 12 behind the bearing-surface of the slideway 1.

As plainly shown in Fig. 1, I prefer to construct my securing devices by fastening the two boards 6 on opposite sides of the intermediate piece 5, thus. holding them slightly apart and causingthem to tend to spring open and facilitating the insertion of garments in the manner shown in Figs. land 2.

In my preferred form of bracket the hinge is formed by the pin 16, secured by upper and lower clips 17, around which the metal strap 5 is bent together. The length of the piece 5 betweenthe bracket and the inner ends of the boards 6 should preferably be sufficient so that the latter may clear the side of the bracket when they are swung ninety degrees to right or left of the position shown in Fig. 4.

The modeof use of my hanger and the advantages thereof may be seen by inspection of Fig. 1, it being understood that the details and in looking, over the garments for picking one out or otherwise the boards 6 are turned over to one side or the other like the leaves of a book, one at a time or several together. When any desired garment. is fixed on, it may be isolated by sliding the others away, or it may be quickly lifted off the slideway 1, bracket, boards, and all, or, if desired, the tape may be unbuttoned and the garments withdrawn from between the boards. By sliding the brackets apart another bracket may be quickly applied to the slideway at any point. All this may be done with one hand and within a narrow space.

It will be seen that since the brackets can and 19, fixed to any suitable base 20. These bars together constitute the supporting-slideway. In this figure is also shown a modified form of fastening for the securing device, wherein the tape 8 is simply wound under a flanged button 21.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 a base-board 20 is raised upon cleats 22, so as to provide room behind it. In the board are provided two slits 23 and 24, into which pr0- ject the top and bottom hooks of the bracket 4. In Fig. 6 three brackets are seen in place as viewed from behind the board 20.

In Figs. 8 and 9 modifications are illus* trated to make it clear that my invention is not confined solely to forms of hanger providing supporting means whereon the securing devices are permitted to slide. It is also to be understood that where the brackets are adapted to slide along the permanent support I am not confined to the use of removable securing devices. On the two sides of the baseboard 20 shown in Fig. 8 are shown two modi fications. On the left is shown the combination of a slit 23 withapertures 25 at intervals in a row beneath said slit. On the right of said figure is shown the combination of said lower row of apertures with an upper row of holes similarly spaced.

The bracket 4 shown in Fig. 9 has the usual hook, which may be inserted in the upper slit 23 or in apertures 26, according to the specific modification employed, while the spike oppin 27 at the lower end enters one of the lower holes. In this form of hanger the securing devices are removable and the hinging action is present; but the securing devices are not capable of sliding while in their normal position, at least. I

It will be observed that where one or the other of the rearward extensions of the bracket at is held in an aperture which does not allow of sliding the bracket may be made narrower, since the tendency to tilt when the boards are oblique or parallel with the base 20 is resisted by the sides of said aperture.

As shown in Fig. 2,a simple extension of my invention produces a very efficient trousers-stretcher having all the advantages hitherto described for the hanger. This is accomplished by securing at a proper distance below the slideway 1 a second slideway 28, but inverted, so that the securing device is applied thereto upside down, as shown. By this arrangement the lower securing device is adapted to resist a strong upward pull, just as the upper securing device resists a like downward pull. The trousers may then be hung first between the top boards 6, which are secured by the tape 8, and then after pulling the trousers taut the lower part thereof may be slipped between the lower boards and there secured. This maintains the initial tension applied to the trousers, and the two hinged clips can be swung at once with the trousers in them. There is a certain amount of spring to each securing device, and the tension upon the trousers is thus readily maintained.

Many variations of form may be applied to the embodiment of the principle of this invention, and I am therefore not to be confined to the details herein shown and described.

WhatI claim is-* 1. In a securing device for garment-hangers, a bracket and a pivot thereon; in combination with a fiat hinge on said pivot, two pressing-boards fastened on the two flat sides of said hinge and means for fastening said boards together at their outer extremities.

2. In agarment-hanger, a supporting-slideway; in combination with a securing device comprising a bracket supported by said slideway and adapted to slip along the same and a securing device for a garment hinged to said bracket.

nally upon said slideway and a separate garment-holder pivotally mounted upon each of said brackets.

5. In a garment-hanger, a supporting=slideway, in combination with a removable securing device supported thereby comprising a bracket, hooksthereon fitting over and under said slideway and a garment-holding device hinged to said bracket.

6. In a garment-hanger, asupporting-slide, a bracket composed of a flat body having a rearward hook at the top fitting over said slide and a spring-clip at the bottom and two parallel pressing boards hinged to said bracket for holding a garment.

7. In a garment-hanger, a supporting-slideway, brackets and sliding connecting means between said slideway and brackets; in combination with a pair of pressing-boards hinged to each bracket and means atthe extremities of said boards to fasten them together.

8. In a garment-hanger, a flat supportingbody'having longitudinal horizontal upper and lower faces, said upper face being shaped to support a sliding hook and admit such hook behind and somewhat below its extreme forward edge; in combination with a garment-securing device removable from said supporting-body without sliding thereon and having a hook fitting over said upper face.

9. In a garment-hanger, a fiat supporting body having longitudinal horizontal upper and lower faces, said upper face being shaped to support a sliding hook and to admit such hook behind and somewhat below its extreme forward edge; in combination with a garment-securing device having a hook fitting over said upper face and a spring-clip adapted to slip over said lower face and catch by spring action behind it.

10. In a garment-hanger, asecuring device comprisinga hook and a garment-holding means hinged thereto; in combination with a support for said device having an-upper face over and behind which said hook is adapted to fit, the support and hook being relatively so shaped that one or the other corner of the tip of the hook will catch upon the support and prevent tilting of the securing device when brought into an oblique po= sition relative to the front of said support. SEYMOUR W. BONSALL. Witnesses:

FRED M. LEE, CARL O. FRANZEN. 

